Weekly Math Updates

December 20, 2005

Dear Petition Signers,

Thank you for a memorable year in trying to free Utah from the horrid grasp of fuzzy math (that'll have to do for my Christmas rhyme). I hope Santa brings all of you some really nice stuff because I know you've all been good. On the other hand, I think there's going to be a large lump of anthracite deposited on our state and local school boards. ;)

Daily Herald Article

We had another really nice article appear in the Daily Herald on Sunday (which I can't believe none of you emailed me about). The article was another one by Anna Chang-Yen entitled "Math doesn't add up for all." It speaks about the charter schools opening up in the area and how the main cause is the Investigations math program. Here's a link to the article:

Here's a couple of choice quotes from this great read. Speaking of the Integrated Mathematics Program (IMP) which is used in grades 10-12 in ASD, the author says or quotes:

"No single institution in the United States has caused more damage to the mathematical education of children than the National Science Foundation." - David Klein, Cal State Northridge

"Although such absolutes are hard to substantiate objectively, it is possible that this is the worst high school mathematics curriculum that has ever been written. The ideologues within the Education and Human Resources division of the NSF, Project 2061 of the AAAS, and the US Department of Education (that deemed both of these curricula "exemplary") notwithstanding, districtwide approval of IMP would be nothing short of immoral. The opportunity of upward mobility through education lost for thousands of children."

...

"If money is available, use it to replace the elementary school curriculum, Everyday Mathematics, that is helping to make your secondary problem worse, not to buy and to train teachers for IMP. Mathematics is mathematics. IMP is not."

Happy holidays to everyone and spread the cheerful news of our math petition. We're over 4.5% in ASD and we can use all the signatures we can get across the state.